Hydraulic stun gun

ABSTRACT

A hydraulic stun gun includes a housing holding two water tanks, two metal nozzles respectively connected to the water tanks through a respective water tube, two lead wires electrically connecting a battery set and a high voltage converter to the metal nozzles through a micro switch, a piston set for providing a compressed air pressure to the water tanks to force water out of the water tanks into the water tubes, two needle valves respectively mounted in the water tubes, a button operable to move open the needle valves and to switch on the micro switch for letting two jets of water be driven out of the metal nozzles and a high voltage low current be driven into the target through the two jets of water when the two jets of water touched the target.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electrical discharge weapons and moreparticularly, to a hydraulic self-defense stun gun for disabling atarget at a distance by discharging high voltage, low current into thetarget through two jets of water.

2. Description of the Related Art

A regular self-defense stun gun user must have the positive and negativeelectrodes of the stun touch the target so that electrical high voltagecan be discharged into the target to disable the target. However, it isdangerous to approach to the target within a short distance. Therefore,hydraulic stun gun for disabling a person at a distance is developed.FIG. 1 illustrates a hydraulic stun gun according to the prior art(Taiwan Patent Publication Number 493735). According to this design, asshown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic stun gun comprises a housing 100 havinginstalled therein two water tanks 10 (see FIG. 2), two metal nozzles 20,two lead wires 30, a micro switch 40 and a piston set 50. The two watertanks 10 are arranged in parallel, and respectively connected to themetal nozzles 20 by a respective water tube 101. The two lead wires 30each have one end respectively connected to the metal nozzles 20 and theother end respectively connected to the micro switch 40. Further, abutton 60 is provided at one side of the micro switch 40. The piston set50 is operable to provide an air pressure to the water tanks 10. Whenoperating the button 60 to switch on the micro switch 40 after a certainnumber of reciprocating cycles of the piston set 50, two jets of waterare driven out of the metal nozzles 20 to the target, and at the sametime a high voltage is discharged to the target through the two jets ofwater, disabling the target. Therefore, this design of hydraulic stungun is capable of disabling a target at a distance.

However, the aforesaid hydraulic stun gun is still not satisfactory infunction. When the button 60 is not operated, a compression spring 602supports the button 60 in the off position where the top stop rods 601of the button 60 are stopped at the water tubes 101 against a respectivestop member 1001 inside the housing 100 to flatten the water tubes 101,blocking the water passage of the water tubes 101. The compressionspring 602 may start to wear quickly with use. When the spring force ofthe compression spring 602 drops below a certain level, the pressureprovided by the top stop rods 601 of the button 60 against the watertubes 101 and the respective stop members 1001 becomes insufficient. Inthis case, water will leak out of the water tanks 10. Therefore, animprovement is necessary to eliminate this water leakage problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is the main object of the present invention to provide ahydraulic stun gun, which uses needle valves to control the output ofjets of water positively, preventing a water leakage.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, thehydraulic stun gun comprises a housing, two water tanks mounted in thehousing, two metal nozzles provided at a front side of the housing, twowater tubes respectively connected between the water tanks and the metalnozzles, a first battery set, a voltage converter adapted for convertingDC battery power of the first battery set into a high voltage, two leadwires electrically connecting positive and negative terminals of thefirst battery set and the voltage converter to the metal nozzles, amicro switch electrically connected between the two lead wires and thefirst battery set, a high pressure air source mounted in the housing andadapted for providing a compressed air pressure into the water tanks toforce water out of the water tanks into the water tubes, a buttonoperable to switch on/off the micro switch and the high pressure airsource, wherein two needle valves are respectively mounted in the watertubes and operable to close/open the water tubes, each needle valvecomprising a valve hole and a valve needle movable with the button toclose/open the valve hole. When the user depresses the button to closethe circuit of the lead wires, battery set, voltage converter circuitand metal nozzles, and at the same time the valve needles of the needlevalves are respectively opened from the associating valve holes.

Further, the button comprises a slide fixedly connected thereto. Theslide has two rod members respectively coupled to the valve needles ofthe needle valve for enabling the valve needles of the needle valves tobe moved with the button to close/open the respective valve holes.

Further, the high pressure air source can be a piston set. The pistonset has one end connected to the two water tanks through an air tube.The air tube has mounted therein a check valve to prevent reverse flowof air. Further, a compression spring is connected between the checkvalve and the slide of the button.

Further, the high pressure air source can be a high-pressure aircontainer controllable to provide a compressed air pressure to the watertanks to force water out of the water tanks into the water tubes.

Further, the high pressure air source can be a power air pump mounted inthe housing. In this case, a second battery set is mounted in thehousing and electrically connected to the power air pump for causing thepower air pump to pump compressed air into the water tanks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional plain view of a hydraulic stun gunaccording to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a top view in an enlarged scale of a part of FIG. 1, showingthe arrangement of the water tanks and the metal nozzles.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plain view of a hydraulic stun gun in accordancewith a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but showing the voltage converter circuitprovided with a voltage regulator.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing an electrical discharge operationof the hydraulic stun gun according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plain view showing the structure of a needle valveused in the hydraulic stun gun in accordance with the present invention(the valve needle closed the valve hole).

FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 6 but showing the valve needle opened fromthe valve hole).

FIG. 8 is a schematic plain view of an alternate form of the hydraulicstun gun in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plain view showing the operation of the piston setof the hydraulic stun gun in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plain view of another alternate form of thehydraulic stun gun in accordance with the present invention (a power airpump used to substitute for the piston set).

FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 10, showing another power circuitarrangement of the power air pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 3, a hydraulic stun gun in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention is shown comprising an electricallyinsulative pistol-like housing a, two water tanks 1, two metal nozzles2, two lead wires 3, a micro switch 4 and a piston set 5. Theelectrically insulative pistol-like housing a is formed of twosymmetrical hollow halve shells, having a grip a1 and a button a2slidably coupled to the grip a1 for trigging control.

The two water tanks 1 are mounted in the housing a and arranged inparallel.

The metal nozzles 2 are mounted in the front side of the housing a andrespectively connected to the water tanks 1 through a respective watertube 21.

The two lead wires 3 are the positive pole lead wire and the negativepole lead wire connected in series with a battery set 31 and a voltageconverter circuit 32, each having one end, each respectively connectedto the metal nozzles 2. Further, a voltage regulator 33 may be providedfor regulating the output voltage of the voltage converter circuit 32(see FIG. 4).

The micro switch 4 is mounted in the housing a at one side of the buttona2 and electrically connected to the circuit of the lead wires 3,battery set 31, voltage converter circuit 32 and metal nozzles 2, andcontrollable by the button a2 to open/close the circuit. When the buttona2 is depressed to close the circuit of the lead wires 3, battery set31, voltage converter circuit 32 and metal nozzles 2, high voltage andlow current jets of water are driven out of the housing 2 into thetarget (see FIG. 5).

The piston set 5 is mounted in the housing a. The reciprocating motionof the piston set 5 provides a compressed air pressure to the watertanks 1, forcing water out of the water tanks 1 into the water tubes 21.

Further, a needle valve 6 is respectively mounted in each water tube 21between the respective water tank 1 and the respective metal nozzle 2(see FIG. 3), and movable with the button a2. The needle valve 6comprises a valve hole 62, and a valve needle 61 movable with the buttona2 to close/open the valve hole 62. When the button a2 is depressed toclose the circuit of the lead wires 3, battery set 31, voltage convertercircuit 32 and metal nozzles 2, the valve needle 61 is moved backward toopen the valve hole 62 (see FIG. 7), allowing compressed water to passthrough the associating water tube 21 out of the associating metalnozzle 2. On the contrary, when the button a2 is returned to its formerposition, the valve needle 61 is returned to close the valve hole 62(see FIG. 6).

Further, the button a2 is fixedly mounted with a slide a3. The slide a3has two rod members a4 respectively coupled to the valve needles 61 ofthe needle valves 6 in the water tubes 21. Therefore, when the button a2is depressed, the slide a3 is moved with the button a2, and the valveneedles 61 of the needle valves 6 are respectively moved by the rodmembers a4 to open the associating valve holes 62 (see FIG. 7).

Further, the piston set 5 has one end connected to the water tanks 1through an air tube 51. A check valve 7 is mounted in between the pistonset 5 and the air tube 51 to prevent reverse flow of air. Further, acompression spring 8 is connected between the check valve 7 and theslide a3. When the button a2 is released from the operator's hand, thecompression spring 8 automatically returns the slide a3, and thereforethe button a2 is returned and the valve needles 61 of the needle valves6 are returned by the rod members a4 to close the associating valveholes 62.

Referring to FIG. 8, a high-pressure air can 9 may be used to substitutefor the piston set 5 shown in FIG. 3, and operable by an operatingbutton 91 to discharge a compressed air to the water tanks 1.

When in use, operate the piston set 5 to provide a compressed airpressure into the water tanks 1 through the air tube 51 (see FIG. 9),forcing air out of the water tanks 1 into the respective water tubes 21.At this time, the valve needles 61 of the needle valves 6 respectivelyclose the associating valve holes 62 (see FIG. 6). Thereafter depressthe button a2 to open the valve needles 61 from the associating valveholes 62 (see FIG. 7), allowing water to be driven out of the watertubes 21 through the metal nozzles 2. When depressing the button a2, themicro switch 4 is switched on, causing a high voltage and low currentelectrical discharge to be carried with the jets of water and driveninto the target when the two jets of water touched the target.

Further, if a high-pressure air can 9 is used to substitute for theaforesaid piston set 5, and the user can operable the operating button91 to discharge a compressed air into the water tanks 1, forcing air outof the water tanks 1 into the respective water tubes 21.

Further, as stated above, a voltage regulator 33 (rotary knob) may beprovided for regulating the output voltage of the voltage convertercircuit 32 (see FIG. 4) subject to the target encountered. For example,when encountering a robber carrying a weapon, the output voltage can beadjusted to the highest level; otherwise the output voltage can beadjusted to a relatively lower level, avoiding a fatal electric shock.

Referring to FIG. 10, a power air pump 5′ may be used to substitute theaforesaid piston set 5, and a second battery set 52 may be installed toprovide the necessary working voltage to the power air pump 5′.Alternatively, the power air pump 5′ may be electrically connected tothe circuit of the lead wires 3, micro switch 4, battery set 31, voltageconverter circuit 32 and metal nozzles 2 (see FIG. 11). When the powerair pump 5′ is started, a compressed air pressure is provided to thewater tanks 1 to force water out of the water tanks 1 into the watertubes 21. In case second battery set 52 is used, the second battery set52 must be switched on to start the power air pump 5′ before depressingthe button a2. If the power air pump 5′ is electrically connected to thebattery set 31, the power air pump 5′ is started when the user depressesthe button a2 to switch on the micro switch, i.e., when the button a2 isdepressed, high voltage and low current jets of water are driven out ofthe housing 2 into the target.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A hydraulic stun gun, comprising a housing, two water tanks mountedin said housing, two metal nozzles provided at a front side of saidhousing, two water tubes respectively connected between said water tanksand said metal nozzles, a first battery set, a voltage converter adaptedfor converting DC battery power of said first battery set into a highvoltage, two lead wires electrically connecting positive and negativeterminals of said first battery set and said voltage converter to saidmetal nozzles, a micro switch electrically connected between said twolead wires and said first battery set, a high pressure air sourcemounted in said housing and adapted for providing a compressed airpressure into said water tanks to force water out of said water tanksinto said water tubes, a button operable to switch on/off said microswitch and said high pressure air source, Wherein: two needle valves arerespectively mounted in said water tubes and operable to close/open saidwater tubes, each said needle valve comprising a valve hole and a valveneedle movable with said button to close/open said valve hole.
 2. Thehydraulic stun gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said button comprisesa slide fixedly connected thereto, said slide having two rod membersrespectively coupled to the valve needles of said needle valve forenabling the valve needles of said needle valves to be moved with saidbutton to close/open the respective valve holes.
 3. The hydraulic stungun as claimed in claim 2, wherein said high pressure air source is apiston set, said piston set having one end connected to said two watertanks through an air tube, said air tube having mounted therein a checkvalve to prevent reverse flow of air.
 4. The hydraulic stun gun asclaimed in claim 3, further comprising a compression spring connectedbetween said check valve and said slide of said button.
 5. The hydraulicstun gun as claimed in claim 4, wherein said high pressure air source isa high-pressure air container controllable to provide a compressed airpressure to said water tanks to force water out of said water tanks intosaid water tubes.
 6. The hydraulic stun gun as claimed in claim 4,further comprising a voltage regulator for regulating the output highvoltage of said voltage converter.
 7. The hydraulic stun gun as claimedin claim 4, wherein said high pressure air source comprises a power airpump mounted in said housing and a second battery set mounted in saidhousing and electrically connected to said power air pump for causingsaid power air pump to pump compressed air into said water tanks.
 8. Thehydraulic stun gun as claimed in claim 4, wherein said high pressure airsource comprises a power air pump mounted in said housing andelectrically connected to said first battery set through said microswitch and controllable by said button to pump compressed air into saidwater tanks.